1 Presented by Manasa Dzirikure (PhD, MAPM)Integrating Youth in Agriculture and Food Security: The Strategic Vision for SADC   Presented at the Youth in Agriculture Summit for Southern Africa, held in Durban, 3-6 August 2015 Presented by Manasa Dzirikure (PhD, MAPM) Advisor, OVC & Youth SADC Secretariat

2 Outline of PresentationAbout SADC – Regional Integration & Development Agenda Situation of Youth in SADC SADC Youth programme priorities SADC Youth and Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security Accelerating youth participation in agriculture, food & nutrition security Conclusion

3 About SADC 15 Member States in Southern AfricaVision of poverty eradication & well being with special focus on the poor and vulnerable, peace and security Through Regional Integration and Development -towards a community with common future and shared destiny Integration entails harmonisation of policies and standards, and solidarity SADC Secretariat facilitates and coordinates policy development & harmonisation, M&E, networking & learning between MS; Govts of Member States domesticate and implement policies with support of partners – private sector, civil society, etc

4 Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020Priority A – Industrial Development and Market Integration, including: Sustainable industrial development, productive competitiveness and supply side capacity; Free movement of goods and services; Stability oriented macroeconomic convergence; Financial market integration and monetary cooperation; Intra-regional investment and foreign direct investment; and Deepened regional integration. Priority B – Infrastructure in support of regional integration, including: Energy; Transport (surface, air and intermodal); Tourism; ICT; Meteorology; and Water. Priority C – Peace and security cooperation (as a pre-requisite for achieving the Regional Integration Agenda). Priority D – Special programmes of regional dimension under: Education and Human Resource Development; Health, HIV and AIDS and other diseases of public health importance; Employment and Labour; Food and Nutrition Security; Youth Development and Empowerment; Trans-boundary Natural Resources; Environment; Statistics; Private Sector; Gender Equality; and Science, Technology and Innovation and Research and Development ***Youth mainstreaming /integration in priority socio-economic and political priorities is key

5 SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063Targets: Quantitative : The Strategy envisages substantial quantitative shifts in industrial structure, manufacturing production, exports, particularly those in the medium- and high-technology categories, while doubling industrial employment. Qualitative: The Strategy envisages socio-economic transformation nationally and regionally – enhancing productivity and competitiveness of economies; technological and industrial catch-up, export diversification, natural resources beneficiation, enhanced value-addition and increased regional trade and employment generation; strategic partnership between governments, the private sector, the civil society and the development partners for industrialization; Strategies: (a) Attaining macroeconomic stability; (b) revitilising regional integration; (c) removing binding constraints; (d) diversification; (e) prioritising agro-processing, minerals beneficiation and downstream processing ,and enhanced participation in value chains at the national regional and global level; (f) strengthening partnerships and conducive environment; (g) enhancing competitiveness; (h) strengthening Small and Medium Scale Enterprises: (i) phased approach to growth ; ; ; (j) and mainstreaming youth and women empowerment and participation in industrialization

6 Situation of Youth in SADC76% of SADC  35 years & 35% youth15–34 – “demographic window of opportunity”: 19 million orphans & millions other vulnerable – cycle of poverty & vulnerability Poverty and income inequalities - 50%–74% live on less than US$1.25 per person per day in 9 poorest SADC MS (SADC, 2011) Natural disasters, climate change and pockets of conflict A culture of exclusion of the youth in decision making and resources allocation...etc Weak structures for youth coordination & weak adherence to good governance Low prioritisation of the professionalisation of youth work High dropout rates & low educational attainment - 17% of pupils dropping out between the first and second grades; children who are not in school is as high as 49% in some countries; Low tertiary enrolment – regional average of 6.7% compared to the rate of 30% for the world Low status of TVET & mismatch between education & skills and the needs of industry Youth unemployment ranging between 25% and close to 90% (SADC, 2011) & weak entrepreneurial culture

7 Situation of Youth in SADCHigh levels of HIV ; child marriages & adolescent birth Youth in conflict with the law - 36% prison population  16 years & 69% of people detained by the police years (SYR, 2004, cited in The Presidency, 2008: 18). Youth (especially rural) insufficient access to information, knowledge and education; limited access to land; inadequate access to financial services; limited access to markets….. Lack of adequate data and information – weak M&E tradition Fragmented, vertical-sector approaches to youth development Policy incoherence between agricultural initiatives and employment especially in rural areas Institutional and policy frameworks on youth and agriculture often broadly defined & generalised Bad perception of Agriculture as a career choice or business: rural youth could be the future of food security, yet few young people see a future for themselves in agriculture or rural areas. *** Youth needs /challenges are many & interrelated – require systems approach to address comprehensively – holism, coordination, collaboration, referral systems….

8 SADC Youth Strategy & Business Plan : Intervention Priorities – consistent with RISDP & Industrialisation Strategy Aligning education and skills training for youth to socio-economic needs and the labour market Strengthening youth participation, representation and coordination Enhancing wealth creation, livelihoods, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth Strengthening health service delivery for youth well-being Promoting volunteerism, social responsibility and leadership development for youth Strengthening research, and monitoring and evaluation of youth development Promoting awareness of and responsiveness to the humanitarian challenges of climate change, conflicts and emergency situations *** Interventions are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, and apply across priority sectors of socio-economic development including Food and Nutrition Security /Agriculture

9 Youth Strategic prioritiesConsistent with regional integration & co-operation agenda and facilitation mandate of Secretariat Established pconducive olicy and legislative environment for youth empowerment and development in SADC such as policies, standards and guidelines on TVET and Recognition of Prior Learning; youth employment creation & entrepreneurship; youth representation in SADC policy organs; quota systems for youth, …. Enhanced youth capabilities and leadership such as building cross sector capacity for youth mainstreaming / integration; governance and leadership training for youth; mentorship /incubation & technical skills training; entrepreneurship development,.... Improved partnerships, resources and support for youth empowerment and participation in SADC such as public –private – CSOs – youth partnerships; resources for youth work /empowerment; centres of excellence and of specialisation on youth development & empowerment; coordination.. Strengthened coordination, participation, representation of youth, and exchange learning such as regional/national coordination structures – SADC Youth Union; referral systems for support to youth empowerment; learning & best practices and networking; youth desk at SADC Secretariat.. Improved data, evidence and reporting such as strengthening M&E and reporting on youth across sectors – indicators and piloting; MER training curriculum; targeted research,....

10 Selected progress and ongoing activitiesMinimum Package of Services for OVC & Youth (social protection including food & nutrition) Strategy & Business Plan on youth participation & empowerment 2015 – 2020 (2014) Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment (2015) Establishment of SADC Youth Union and Thematic Committees to include FNS (ongoing) Draft Policy Framework on Youth Employment (ongoing) TVET Strategy (to be revised to on include informal sector) Work on Recognition of Prior Learning /Regional Qualification Framework (ongoing) Integration of youth in SADC water Strategy (youth consultative forum in September 2015) Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting initiative (regional project just begun) Youth integrated in SADC Food and Nutrition Strategy (2014 – planning implementation)

11 Mainstreaming /integrating youth in AgricultureSADC Regional Agriculture policy – “Fighting Against Unemployment and Marginalisation of the Rural Youth .... promote and support the generation and sharing of knowledge on issues and strategies affecting employment of the rural youth along the agricultural value-chain..... ensure that the vast majority of rural youth have appropriate skills and access to production factors and support services” Food and Nutrition Security Strategy priorities (youth targeted) Promoting availability of food through improved production, productivity and competitiveness: documentation and sharing of best practices on incentives and empowerment of women and youth in food and nutrition security mentorship access to land and water for youth incentives including grants targeted to the youth in agribusiness mentorship, skills development and incubation for youth & women healthy life style in schools inclusion of food and nutrition sensitive curricula at all levels.

12 Food and Nutrition Security Strategy 2015-2025 priorities (youth targeted)Improving access to adequate and appropriate food in terms of quality and quantity: address inequalities to support the marginalized poor youth domesticate regional trade policy instruments to support youth creation of decent productive employment opportunities including income generating programmes and rural agro-processing businesses for youth school feeding schemes for primary schools social protection schemes for rural vulnerable/poor especially orphans, Improving the utilisation of nutritious, healthy, diverse and safe food for consumption under adequate biological and social environment with proper health care: pre-school and school nutrition programmes access and utilisation of food by children, youth and women To ensure stable and sustainable availability, access and utilisation of food. empowerment of youth and women in food and nutrition *** Follow-up implementation required by all - Government, private sector, CSOs, Academic & research, YOUTH LEADERSHIP...

13 Accelerating Youth Participation in Agriculture: observationsPromote development paradigm centred on youth potential /participation & leadership for a sustainable demographic dividend rather than youth as problems or welfare/charity orientation Build on existing opportunities: energy and creativity of young people to foster development of agriculture sector; youth in informal employment in subsistence agriculture and family based livelihoods Adopt systems thinking: holistic approaches; comprehensive youth empowerment; multisectoral Holistic evidence informed land & agriculture reforms that improve conditions to attract youth Rebrand agriculture from emphasis on subsistence to wealth creation – develop youth self esteem in agriculture (change negative perceptions of youth regarding agriculture ) Research agenda - understand the behaviours and needs of young people in agriculture /agro business and support /provide incentives Collaboration with private sector and financial institutions for support to agro-business for young people – mechanism for PPPs Improve access to markets for agricultural products

14 Strengthening Youth Participation in AgricultureDevelop clear capacity development plan - skills development for youth in farming and business and increase youth efficiency in agriculture Introduce /strengthen agriculture in schools curriculum from primary to tertiary Document and share best practices and facilitating exchange learning: promote innovative models Develop youth policies that prioritise agriculture (need to be holistic / cross sector linkages) Increase youth awareness in agriculture value chains and policies Youth ownership and leadership - participation, peer influence…. Leaders commitment at all levels - define stakeholder roles /responsibilities, establish /strengthen coordination, sustainability through internal financing mechanisms, Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and reporting

15 Conclusion Youth development and empowerment needs are many, interrelated & reinforce on each other – adopt systems approach to address them comprehensively and sustainably through greater coordination, collaboration, referrals Develop a holistic package of comprehensive youth support in Agriculture clearly defining all necessary components and conditions for success Bidirectional relationship of impact between (a) empowered youth in agriculture, food and nutrition security, and (b) improved agriculture and food and nutrition security Development paradigm and strategic planning for a Demographic Bonus /Dividend